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Everyone stared at me. I swallowed hard.
“I would like to, yes. I think it will be good for us both. She is a wonderful person, a kind one, and we are connected in some sort of way. It sounds crazy, but… I do enjoy her company very much.”
Celeste smiled. I couldn’t tell if this was good or not, but I hoped it meant Alexandra and I would be let off the leash a bit.
“I’d like a moment to get to know her still,” I said. “And to propose properly, of course.”
That would buy me time.
“But it would be good for your country and mine. There is great media interest in covering such an event in Lundhavn. It’s my understanding, that since the great King’s death years ago, the country has been looking for a bit of happiness. Alexandra and I believe that anything which raises morale is the right thing to do. We are committed to securing the institution—for us both.”
Celeste beamed. “That sounds lovely.”
“A marriage would be popular,” Lord William said. “Especially a royal groom. That would be a fairytale. They’d make a happy, handsome couple. But we need to be careful how we approach?—”
“I think we might use the media to build the narrative and invite them in.” I hoped I wasn’t getting in over my head.
“We do not do that.”
“Yes, I know. It is a risk—all things are—but this would be so very curated. You see, one of the big problems with my brother’s wedding was that the costs were obscene, and he and his wife never spoke to the press. People felt out of it and wondered if it was all just something on the take. I’d hate for anyone to think that about Alexandra. I don’t mean to be critical, but people don’t feel they know her. She’s a wonderful person. If people got to know her, it would be a bonus for your country and the institution. Because what you need is a succession plan—one that secures it for years, right? The world is changing, ma’am. I am saying what I saw happened with my brother’s wedding.”
Celeste groaned.
Another courtier added, “Ma’am he may have a point. The biggest criticism of Alexandra is that no one knows anything about her. People think she is only a sterile figurehead. A royal engagement with a bit of press coverage couldn’t hurt. And it could defray some of the costs of a grand celebration.”
Lord William nodded. He was Celeste’s henchman. I knew it now.
“Get her to articulate this to me, Rikard, and we will discuss the particulars,” Celeste said.
I tried not to grin too wide. We were on our way. Now, I only hoped my father was able to get it together with our press nightmare. If he couldn’t, there was no way Alexandra would marry me. She was too good to put up with such a scandal and I wouldn’t drag her down with me.
Eleven
Alexandra
Rick invited me out on a hack the day following dinner with Celeste. I was not invited to breakfast, which made me uncomfortable. Frightened about what she told him in my absence, I focused instead on the barn. My sisters were jealous. It had been years since any of us had been allowed to climb onto a horse. It was “too risky” but so was Rick getting away. So, Celeste stayed quiet.
I spent an hour planning what to wear—unlike me. I wasn’t interested in Rick in a genuine sense, but impressions mattered. I didn’t want him to see me as an ogre if he was still on the fence. He’d have to look at me every day for at least a couple of years. Maybe he’d have to look at me long enough for us to struggle through having children. That idea didnotappeal to me at this time, but I’d cross that bridge when I got there.
We rode over to the stables together, spending time sitting close to one another. I wanted it to work. I wanted a connection with him that went beyond a business relationship. I’d felt something the night before, but now it vanished. We had little in common until we picked our mounts at the barn.
There, we immediately bonded over horses. Rick wasn’t just a polo player. Unlike many of the men in our social strata who would show up, ride a few horses at a match, and then leave, he was tender with herd. Hedoted. They weren’t solely a means to an end with his sport. I respected that about him. The common bond broke us out of our shells.
We headed out to the trails.
“We have the nicest trails to have a hack on,” I said. “I know you do not find Neandia exciting, Rick, but… we have some areas of natural beauty. This place is a little hideaway. You’ll grow to love it if you spend time here.”
“It’s very nice—like your garden. Do you not come here? It is beautiful.”
“I used to stay here for hours! Before his health declined, I would come out here every day with my grandfather. Asti and I hacked out with him most days. Then, when he couldn’t manage that, he would sit in the stands of the indoor ring and watch our lessons. We kept up with it until Celeste put a stop to it a couple of years ago. I had a fall—not even a bad one—on a green horse and she refused to let any of us return.”
Rick grimaced as we trotted down the lane. “Well, that would make me go crazy. It’s my favourite place to escape to. I can think. No one bothers me. I’ve taken refuge at the barn as of late. Shame you cannot do the same.”
“I agree.”
“If I stay on for a bit, do you think she will ease up and let you come with me?”
I perked up. “I’d assume yes. Would you consider it?”
